Category Archives: Australian politics

Australia’s offshore detention is unlawful, says international criminal court prosecutor

Posted on by

Treatment of refugees and asylum seekers ‘cruel, inhuman or degrading’, but does not warrant prosecution, ICC office says

Australia’s offshore detention regime is a “cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment” and unlawful under international law, the international criminal court’s prosecutor has said.

But the office of the prosecutor has stopped short of deciding to prosecute the Australian government, saying that while the imprisonment of refugees and asylum seekers formed the basis of a crime against humanity, the violations did not rise to the level to warrant further investigation.

Continue reading...

Peter Dutton looking to ‘restrict the damage’ of high court Indigenous decision – politics live

Posted on by

Parliament sits for the final time this week, with threats to the government’s promised surplus back in the spotlight. All the day’s events, live

The auditor-general will appear at the Senate inquiry into the sports grant affair in about 30 minutes.

Asked if he voted for Llew O’Brien in the deputy speaker ballot, Barnaby Joyce says it was a secret ballot and “the reason ballots are secret is that you don’t tell people how you vote. Otherwise don’t bother having them”. Which leads to this exchange:

Joyce: Who did you vote for at the last election?

Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese to give evidence at Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald’s trial

Posted on by

Former NSW Labor MPs allegedly conspired over mining properties in Bylong Valley, near Mudgee

The federal opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, a former New South Wales premier, Morris Iemma, mining figures and public servants are expected to give evidence in the trial of former mining ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald.

The former state Labor MPs – with Obeid’s son Moses, 50 – are being tried in the NSW supreme court over their alleged conspiracy to commit an offence between 2007 and 2009, when Macdonald was mineral resources minister and the Obeids owned land in coal country.

Continue reading...

Morrison vows new approach to Closing the Gap as he says latest results ‘not good enough’ – politics live

Posted on by

Prime minister says reality for Indigenous children a ‘national shame’ as Senate turns up the heat on the government to release the PM&C report into the sports grants affair. All the day’s events, live

Scott Morrison:

There remains much to do.

And we will do it differently by working together. By moving from a fixation with what is going wrong to a focus on strength.

Scott Morrison:

I am saddened that we have not met the target for child mortality but I draw hope and result from the fact that we are making progress in tackling the risk factors.

More Indigenous mothers are attending antenatal care in the first trimester and more are going to at least five antenatal sessions.

Continue reading...

Chief medical officer warns against coronavirus xenophobia – politics live

Posted on by

The fallout from last week’s leadership spill continues, with rebel MPs refusing to fall into line. All the day’s events, live

There is a real pattern emerging of Nationals MPs wearing green ties with dark blue suits, and really I can see why the party room is in revolt.

Josh Frydenberg is yelling again, and I can’t transcribe it, because GUESSWHOTHATFINANCIALGENIUSWASSIRTAXALOT is doing my head in, and really, you only get one life.

Continue reading...

High court rules Aboriginal Australians are not ‘aliens’ under the constitution and cannot be deported

Posted on by

The four-to-three split decision giving Aboriginal Australians special status is a major defeat for the deportation powers of the home affairs department

The high court has decided that Aboriginal Australians are not aliens for the purpose of the constitution, a major defeat for the deportation powers of Peter Dutton’s home affairs department and a significant development in the rights of Indigenous Australians.

In a four-to-three split decision on Tuesday the high court ruled that Aboriginal people with sufficient connection to traditional societies cannot be aliens, giving them a special status in Australian constitutional law likely to have ramifications far beyond existing native title law.

Continue reading...

Indonesian president Joko Widodo addresses Australian parliament – politics live

Posted on by

The fallout from last week’s leadership spill in the National party continues as Queensland MP Llew O’Brien quits party. All the day’s events live

The hands have been shaken and the talks had – Joko Widodo has left the chamber.

This is interesting.

Joko Widodo:

I would like to propose a number of priority agendas as we head into the century of partnership.

First, we must continue to advocate the values of democracy and human rights.

Continue reading...

Private investors won’t touch new Coalition-backed coal plant, Labor says

Posted on by

Morrison government to spend up to $4m in grant for feasibility study into coal-fired power plant in Queensland

The federal Labor opposition says private investors will not touch “with a barge pole” the Morrison government’s plan to support a coal-fired power plant in Queensland.

The government says it will spend up to $6m in grants for two new Queensland electricity generation projects, including a coal-fired power plant, as part of a bid to lower power prices.

Continue reading...

2020s vision: big ideas to make Australia better

Posted on by

How shall we stare down the challenges of the next decade? Where will we find the hope and solutions required for the 2020s? Listen to a live Guardian Australia panel taking on these big topics. Featuring Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner, Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor, political editor Katharine Murphy, Indigenous affairs editor Lorena Allam and writer David Marr

Continue reading...

UK foreign minister urges Australia to strive for net zero emissions by 2050

Posted on by

Dominic Raab calls on government to work with other countries to cut carbon pollution, saying Britain wants a ‘step change’ in international response to climate crisis

The UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has called on Australia to work with other countries to bring down carbon pollution as it works towards the “challenge” of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Raab, who met with Australia’s foreign affairs minister Marise Payne on Thursday, said the pair had a “good constructive conversation” about Britain’s goal to reduce emissions as it prepared to host the United Nations climate summit, COP26, in Glasgow later this year.

Continue reading...

Morrison staffer who helped club win grant caught on video urging crowd to vote Liberal

Posted on by

Online video emerges as the Senate sets up an inquiry into the Coalition’s $100m sports rort grants

Video has emerged online of a member of Scott Morrison’s electorate staff being lauded for helping Cronulla Sailing Club win an $8,400 grant, as the Senate moved on Wednesday to set up an inquiry into the controversial $100m community sport infrastructure grant program.

In the video posted to Facebook, a representative of the club thanks the staffer, identifying her as “Scott Morrison’s PA”, for helping push her to apply for a grant for a new stainless steel barbecue. GrantConnect shows the grant was approved in December 2017 as part of the stronger communities program.

Continue reading...

National party tensions test Coalition as Scott Morrison reshuffles cabinet – politics live

Posted on by

Prime minister must deal with the National party turmoil as the parliamentary year gets under way in earnest. All the day’s events, live

So what can we expect today, given that parliament is officially back and the climate fires have been acknowledged?

Well, probably an end to what has been described as the “sombre bipartisanship” between Labor and the Coalition.

Awwwwww. I bet he still believes in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and that the Great Barrier Reef can be saved too!

Here’s Scott Morrison on Barnaby Joyce and the Nationals on the Nine Network this morning:

Continue reading...

Jacqui Lambie wants deal on union-busting bill ‘as soon as possible’

Posted on by

Crossbencher ‘hopes to think’ she is close to a deal with government on union penalty bill unexpectedly defeated last year

Senator Jacqui Lambie is looking to strike a deal with the government “as soon as possible” on the union penalty bill, while Labor struggles to contain a debate in its own ranks about union-backed superannuation funds.

Lambie is meeting the industrial relations minister, Christian Porter, on Tuesday to continue negotiations on the bill, which would lower the threshold for the deregistration of unions and disqualification of their officials.

Continue reading...

Matt Canavan quits cabinet to back Barnaby Joyce for National party leadership

Posted on by

Joyce says he will challenge Nationals leader Michael McCormack for the top job when a party room spill is called on Tuesday

Barnaby Joyce will challenge Michael McCormack for the leadership of the Nationals when a party room spill is called on Tuesday, saying he has learned from his past mistakes and is the best person to lead the party to the next election.

The former leader’s tilt at a comeback won support from the cabinet minister Matt Canavan on Monday night, with the Queensland senator resigning his position to back Joyce in the leadership ballot.

Continue reading...

Jacqui Lambie says people scared and confused by Coalition’s cashless welfare card plan

Posted on by

Senator says after visiting remote Indigenous communities that many there feel they have not been properly consulted over new card

Independent senator Jacquie Lambie says “the government has a problem” with the rollout of its controversial cashless debit card, after her fact-finding visit to the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Lambie visited several remote Aboriginal communities to “get a view from the ground on how the card is functioning, before voting on the government’s proposed changes for its future”, she said. Most of the people she spoke to “didn’t know any change was being proposed at all”.

Continue reading...

‘New underclass’: Labor warns on Australia’s reliance on short-term migration

Posted on by

Large numbers of easily exploited temporary migrants could have a ‘corrosive’ effect, says Kristina Keneally

Australia’s reliance on temporary migration is creating a new economic underclass that risks having a “corrosive” effect on the nation’s society, Labor’s shadow home affairs minister, Kristina Keneally, says.

In a major speech to the Curtin institute on Thursday night, Keneally will step up Labor’s attack on the government for its reliance on temporary migration, saying current trends could see as many as 3 million people – or 12% of the population – living in Australia on a temporary basis.

Continue reading...

Canberra fires live updates: capital of Australia faces renewed bushfire threat – latest news

Posted on by

Huge fires to the south smother city with smoke amid weather forecast for heatwave and searing temperatures as Scott Morrison prepares to address National Press Club today. Follow live news and latest updates

From Tuesday night. A lot of ACT residents are comparing this fire to the devastating 2003 blaze.

Just a reminder of where we’re at. On Monday, a defence helicopter landed in the Namadgi national park, south of Canberra, and accidentally sparked what authorities have called the city’s “most serious” bushfire threat since the city’s devastating 2003 fires.

Tuesday saw dramatic images of the fire approaching Canberra’s southern suburbs, but conditions eased throughout the evening and the fire was downgraded from emergency level to watch and act just before midnight.

Continue reading...

Jacinda Ardern lets phone call from Scott Morrison go to voicemail – video

Posted on by

The prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, lets a phone call from her Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, go to voicemail during a press conference. Ardern was speaking about the idea of cooperating with Australia on an evacuation of citizens from Australia and New Zealand from coronavirus-hit Wuhan, China

Continue reading...

Federal government withholds water funding from NSW in Murray-Darling standoff

Posted on by

Minister disappointed that New South Wales did not submit Murray-Darling basin resource plans

The federal government is withholding millions of dollars from the New South Wales government for failing to complete water resource plans for the Murray-Darling basin.

In a letter to the state’s water minister, Melinda Pavey, the federal water resources minister, David Littleproud, raised concerns the 20 plans had not been submitted.

Continue reading...

Coronavirus: Australia considers evacuating citizens caught in China amid lockdown

Posted on by

Chief medical officer says Australia is ‘incredibly well prepared to isolate and deal with’ any more cases

Australia’s chief medical officer has warned there will likely be more cases of the deadly coronavirus confirmed in the country, as the federal government explores plans to evacuate Australian citizens from the pandemic’s epicentre in central China.

Prof Brendan Murphy, Australia’s chief medical officer, said more cases of 2019-nCoV were likely, following the confirmation of four cases.

Continue reading...